Chapter 43: Qin Ying
At the third quarter of the si hour, Song Yan arrived at the mountain gate as promised. A crowd had gathered at the entrance to the Path of Cultivation.
Passing cultivators slowed their steps and stole glances toward a certain spot, while some disciples simply stopped in their tracks to admire the scenery nearby.
Song Yan looked up and saw a female cultivator standing at the mountain gate, with a plump, honest-looking disciple beside her.
The female cultivator seemed to sense his gaze and glanced back.
Gauze robes and silk garments, beautiful as a celestial being, with an ethereal presence untouched by the mortal world…
“…”
Song Yan took a soft breath.
What a beautiful woman!
He admired her sincerely in his heart.
Women in the cultivation world, due to nurturing qi and refining spiritual energy, usually possessed an otherworldly air. If they had fortuitous encounters that cleansed their meridians or broke through to higher realms, their skin would become luminous and radiant.
But true beauty lay in the bones, not the skin. Some things could never be changed no matter what.
Just like this female cultivator before him…
The morning mountain breeze swept past, gently lifting the hem of the woman’s robe.
Truly beautiful beyond reason!
“Song Yesheng?”
“…Disciple is here.”
Song Yan responded and quickly walked over to report.
The female cultivator nodded. “Qin Ying. This is Li Qingfeng, Junior Brother Li.”
“Sister Qin, Senior Brother Li.”
“Oh no, Senior Brother, I’m only at the fourth level of Qi Refining.”
Li Qingfeng’s appearance didn’t quite match his name. His build was quite plump, with a black iron pot strapped to his back and a… kitchen knife-shaped magical artifact hanging from his waist.
This made him stand out among the cultivators.
“Let’s go.”
Senior Sister Qin’s tone was flat, but not as cold as her ethereal bearing suggested. Instead, there was a hint of gentleness.
However, Song Yan detected a trace of urgency in her voice.
“Linxi County, Peach Blossom Dock.”
With a light tap of her fingertip, an ice-blue flying sword shot out from her sleeve and hovered before Song Yan’s feet.
“Get on.”
“What about Li Qingfeng… Junior Brother?”
“Oh, Senior Brother, don’t worry. I have a flight magical artifact.”
He patted the iron pot on his back. “You two go ahead. I’ll catch up.”
A flight magical artifact?
Song Yan was startled. Among cultivators, besides flying on artifacts like flying swords and spirit gourds, there were also artifacts that could carry cultivators in flight.
These artifacts didn’t require constant infusion of spiritual energy like flying swords. Instead, they could be pre-charged with spiritual energy or fitted with spirit stones to operate continuously without manipulation.
Last time when he traveled from the sect to Silent Valley, the spirit boat they took was one such type.
Flight magical artifacts were quite precious, and this junior brother was quite open about it, not hiding it at all.
It seemed Li Qingfeng had noticed Song Yan’s surprise. He chuckled and explained with self-deprecation.
“My iron pot doesn’t look great, consumes a lot, and… can only carry one person. Even if I left it in the square, no one would want it.”
In Song Yan’s mind, this was just modesty.
Because he kind of wanted it.
“All right, Senior Brother Li, then we… Hey!”
Song Yan wanted to exchange a few more pleasantries, when he felt a gentle force lift him onto the flying sword.
A faint orchid fragrance drifted from Senior Sister Qin’s robes, quite pleasant.
A clear, cold sword hum came from beneath his feet.
In the blink of an eye, the two of them were already high above the clouds, surrounded by ice-blue spiritual light as they flew swiftly.
They were soaring in the sky!
In Song Yan’s heart, besides amazement, there was only this thought.
Looking out through Qin Ying’s protective spiritual qi.
Clear skies above, a strong wind blowing.
Mountains and rivers stretched out below, fully visible.
This was sword flight!
Completely different from the spirit boat ride before. This time, he truly felt the unfettered vision in his heart.
Riding the sword upon the wind, free and unrestrained between heaven and earth!
Song Yan’s heart surged with emotion!
Linxi County wasn’t far from the Dongyuan Sect. In a blink of an eye, a great city appeared before them.
He could already feel them descending from the clouds.
A moment later, Qin Ying lowered the sword light and landed steadily on the ground. Song Yan wasn’t prepared and nearly stumbled.
Fortunately, Qin Ying used her spiritual energy to steady him.
“Thank you, Senior Sister.” Song Yan looked up. They were outside the city.
“Linxi County is one of the largest cities in the prefecture, with many common folk.”
“To avoid unnecessary disturbances, cultivators should not fly on swords when entering the city.”
Qin Ying walked forward while explaining to Song Yan.
“This is an unwritten rule.”
Linxi County was originally an obscure, nameless place that wasn’t even called Linxi.
It was only because it was near the world-famous Yunxi City in the State of Chu that passing merchants and travelers who mentioned the area only knew of it as “that small county near Yunxi.”
Later, a magistrate came to Linxi. Rather than seeing this as shameful, he embraced the name, borrowing Yunxi City’s influence to vigorously develop fishing and agriculture.
In just a few years, it leaped to become the largest and most prosperous county near Yunxi City.
It was simply renamed Linxi City. Its original name was forgotten by everyone.
“Oh, two Daoist Masters, where are you from?”
To avoid disturbances, Qin Ying had altered her appearance slightly and let Song Yan walk in front.
Song Yan presented the entry documents Qin Ying had given him one by one to the city guards for inspection.
“Shiliang,” Song Yan said casually.
“Shiliang?”
The inspecting guard didn’t seem to have heard of it, but another one knew and reminded him, “Over in Yunyang County…”
“…”
The guards exchanged glances, seemed to think of something, and their movements paused.
“May I ask… are you immortals from the Dongyuan Sect…”
“Hm?”
Song Yan frowned.
“Oh, Immortal, please don’t misunderstand. The matter at Peach Blossom Dock has spread throughout all the neighboring villages. Both the magistrate and the patron lord have announced that they would invite the immortals of the Dongyuan Sect to come…”
“I see.”
Song Yan nodded.
“Immortal, please.”
Without further ado, the two stepped into the city.
Those who lived near mountains lived off the mountains, and those who lived near water lived off the water.
Busy streets with horses and carriages, a land of fish and rice.
Vendors delivered freshly made tofu to the market at noon, while a fishmonger nearby sat repairing a grass carp and chatting with someone. Children chased and played in the streets.
Song Yan had seen similar scenes in Shiliang Town.
Their attire was out of place, and many onlookers stopped to stare and whisper.
At that moment, a team of constables in official uniforms approached from the front.
“Enjoy the liveliness, but everyone, please keep an eye on your children so they don’t get lost…”
The head constable had a clear purpose. He walked up quickly and bowed with cupped fists.
“Are you two immortals from the Dongyuan Sect?”
“…”
Seeing that Senior Sister Qin remained silent, Song Yan nodded.
“Mm.”
“Where is Senior Brother Bai?”
The one who had reported this matter was a patron of the Dongyuan Sect in Linxi County named Bai Zimo.
“Master Bai is handling important matters at the government office and sent me to welcome the three of you… Huh?”
“Oh, Junior Brother Li will be arriving shortly.”
“Oh, then please follow me. My surname is also Bai, given name Lei. Just call me Xiao Bai.”
Xiao Bai?
No matter how he heard it, the name felt strange. The words hesitated in his mouth for a long time before he finally managed to speak.
“Constable Bai, what did you just say? Senior Brother Bai is handling important matters at the government office?”
As they walked, Song Yan asked casually.
A cultivator…
How had he ended up doing government work?